Bellingham Police are searching for a suspect in the Tuesday slaying of a 31-year-old woman at a downtown homeless residence.
The suspect is Shilo A. Englert, 33, of Bellingham, wanted on a charge of second-degree murder, a police department spokesperson said Saturday.
Police did not identify the victim. But relatives speaking to Cascadia Daily News Thursday identified her as Kasaundra “Kassy” Booker, 31, who grew up in Concrete and Onalaska, Lewis County, and went to high school in Sedro-Woolley.
Neighbors and others familiar with the case say Booker died at 22 North, a residential building with 40 studio apartments and support services for homeless people. Northwest Youth Services and Opportunity Council both manage the building, where the front doors were locked late this week during the investigation.
Police now say officers went to the building at 9:29 p.m. Tuesday for a welfare check, finding a deceased woman in the stairwell with what later was determined to be a fatal gunshot wound.
Police are asking for assistance from anyone who might know where Englert might be hiding, suggesting they contact BPD’s confidential phone tip line, 360-778-8611, or email tip line: www.cob.org/tips.
Anyone who spots Englert is asked to call 911 immediately as he should be considered armed and dangerous.